At Alternet, Alyssa Figueroa
writes:
Americans will rally in 15 cities across the country at noon tomorrow to kickoff a national campaign to establish a Wall Street tax that would generate billions for the public good. This Financial Transaction Tax, called the "Robin Hood Tax," is a levy of less than half of a percent on trades in derivatives, stocks, bonds and foreign currencies. According to the campaign, economists estimate that $350 billion could be raised each year for health care, jobs, education, infrastructure and various other needs, which may help rejuvenate the economy. The campaign states that it is pushing for “a tax for the people.”
These Robin Hood Tax events will take place in front of JPMorgan Chase branches because of its recent $2 billion loss from a risky hedge investment. According to the campaign, it is “the latest bank to have the spotlight shone on their reckless behavior that has hurt millions.” A Robin Hood Tax event will also take place in Rio de Janeiro tomorrow at the Rio +20 international conference on climate change.
Though within the last few months the campaign started reaching the United States, it has been pushed in more than 40 countries over the last two years. Several countries, including the UK, China, Brazil and India have already implemented this tax, while France and Germany have aimed to implement it by 2013.
Find a rally near you and/or let others know via Facebook and Twitter.
Blast from the Past. At Daily Kos on this date in 2004:
From the premier movie critic [Roger Ebert]:
"In your articles discussing Michael Moore's film 'Fahrenheit 9/11,' you call it a documentary. I always thought of documentaries as presenting facts objectively without editorializing. While I have enjoyed many of Mr. Moore's films, I don't think they fit the definition of a documentary."
That's where you're wrong. Most documentaries, especially the best ones, have an opinion and argue for it. Even those that pretend to be objective reflect the filmmaker's point of view. Moviegoers should observe the bias, take it into account and decide if the film supports it or not.
Michael Moore is a liberal activist. He is the first to say so. He is alarmed by the prospect of a second term for George W. Bush, and made "Fahrenheit 9/11" for the purpose of persuading people to vote against him.
That is all perfectly clear, and yet in the days before the film opens June 25, there'll be bountiful reports by commentators who are shocked! shocked! that Moore's film is partisan.
"He doesn't tell both sides," we'll hear, especially on Fox News, which is so famous for telling both sides.
Tweet of the Day:
SEIU is sending a janitor at JP Morgan in Houston to tomorrow's Dimon hearing to ask why a profitable bank can't give him a decent wage
— @samsteinhp via TweetDeck
High Impact Posts. Top Comments. Overnight News Digest.